Nothing elicits quite the same amount of joy as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. It may seem like it’s always been tradition for families to hang ornaments, tinsel, and lights from evergreens, but those festive firs have only become a Christmas custom stateside in the last couple hundred years. In fact, many cultures, countries, and centuries shaped the way our Christmas trees look today. If you’re a holiday history buff, keep reading for some of the most amazing Christmas tree facts we could find. They’re sure to make you feel merry and bright! And for some fascinating regional holiday activities, check out 20 Ways Christmas Is Celebrated Differently Across the U.S.

1

Christmas trees used to hang like chandeliers in Poland.

Don’t be alarmed if you see a tree hanging upside down from the ceiling. This trend actually originated in medieval times, according to The Spruce. Legend goes that a Benedictine monk used the triangle shape of the inverted tree to explain the Holy Trinity to pagans. But the idea really took off in the 1900s in Poland with podłazniczek, a custom where Polish people decorated the branches with fruit, nuts, and ribbons, then hung the tree from the ceiling! And for festive trivia to share with family, check out 55 Fun Christmas Facts to Get You in the Holiday Spirit.

2

Ukrainians decorate their Christmas trees with spider webs.

While it sounds ominous, this tradition is actually rooted in a heartwarming folktale about a poor widow who found a Christmas tree for her children. However, she had no money to decorate it, so on Christmas Eve, she went to bed crying. That night, spiders heard her tears and proceeded to cover the tree with delicate, glistening webs. Some versions of the story say the webs actually turned into silver and gold, while others say they merely looked like precious metals—either way, the widow felt rich come Christmas morning.

“Spiders have always been considered ‘good luck insects’ in Ukrainian tradition,” Lubow Wolynetz, folk art curator at the Ukrainian Museum in New York City, told Today. In honor of this, many Ukrainian families decorate their trees with silver and gold cobwebs and spiders today.

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3

Thomas Edison’s colleague was the first to put electric lights on a Christmas tree.

Some people say Thomas Edison himself did this, but let’s not let Edison take more credit than he deserves. It was actually his colleague and friend, Edward Johnson, who first thought of putting electric lights on a Christmas tree instead of the traditional candles, according to the Library of Congress. However, the first bulb-lit tree did stand in Edison’s power plant in Manhattan in 1882, set on a rotating box so that passersby could see all 80 blinking red, white, and blue lights. No one had seen anything like it.

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4

One of the first tree-decorating traditions involved setting firs on fire.

One of the first Christmas tree-decorating ceremonies involved adorning a fir tree with paper flowers, singing and dancing around it, and then—brace yourself—lighting the entire thing on fire. According to The New York Times, that all took place in the town square of Riga, the capital city of Latvia, in 1510. (Although Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, claims it was the first to celebrate in 1441.)

At that time in northern Europe, Christmas celebrations looked very different than they do today. The festivities ran from the end of November until the New Year, but the dazzling spectacle of our Christmas trees today would likely be just as much of a shock to them.

5

Early Romans were the first to celebrate with firs.

Evergreen trees have been synonymous with Christmas for centuries. Early Romans used evergreens to decorate their temples for Saturnalia, a festival they celebrated in December. When Christians began associating the birth of Christ with these previously existing winter holidays, they picked up on the evergreen tree as a symbol of eternal life, explains Dixie Sandborn of Michigan State University Extension.

For the most loved holiday movie ever, check out The Best Christmas Movie of All Time, According to Critics.

6

Cherry trees were once used as Christmas trees.

These days, the most popular Christmas trees are Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, balsam fir, and white pine. However, in the early days before everyone settled on firs and pines, some Europeans used cherry or hawthorn trees as their Christmas greenery, according to Sandborn. The appeal of these trees was in their flowers. If you cut off a branch, brought it inside, and set it in a pot of water, it would flower just in time for Christmas.

7

Americans buy upwards of 30 million Christmas trees a year.

According to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), 25 to 30 million live trees are harvested annually from a crop of about 350 million trees in farms across the United States. The total land needed for all those farms comes to 547 square miles—about twice the size of the greater Chicago area. Fortunately, these farms help preserve green space, and they also employ about 100,000 Americans each year. (Alternatively, as the NCTA point outs, most artificial trees are made in China.)

And if you want to celebrate like the queen, check out 15 Royal Christmas Traditions That You Need to Know About.

8

Christmas trees are farmed in all but three states in the U.S.

It’s a commonly held myth that Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states. According to a map published by NBC, there are no tree farms in New Mexico, South Dakota, or Wyoming. In fact, the country gets most of its trees from Oregon and North Carolina, the two states with the largest production of Christmas trees.

9

Christmas tree farms are sustainable.

Concerned about the impact getting a fresh tree may have on the environment? Don’t be. As Green America points out, the vast majority of cut Christmas trees come from tree farms, which “generally plant about two trees for every one they cut.” If it’s important to you to support a farm that doesn’t use chemical pesticides, you can search Local Harvest for organic tree farms.

10

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree idea came from construction workers.

The huge holiday spectacle at Rockefeller Center in New York City has humble beginnings. According to The New York Times, the tradition started during the Great Depression in 1931, when construction workers put up a mere 20-foot tree in the plaza and decorated it with paper garlands, strings of cranberries, and tin cans. Today, a Norway spruce no taller than 100 feet is chosen every year, trucked into Manhattan, propped up in the plaza, and topped with a Swarovski crystal star that weighs more than 9,000 pounds. Look how far she’s come!

For the songs you need to keep off your holiday playlist, check out The Most Hated Christmas Songs of All Time.

11

London’s Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is an annual thank-you gift from Norway.

London has its own arboreal tradition: a huge Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square. This tree is a thank-you gift from Norway. Every year since 1947, the people of Oslo have selected a 50- to 60-year-old spruce tree to cut down and ship to London as a way of showing gratitude to England for supporting Norway in World War II. In turn, Londoners decorate the tree in traditional Norwegian style, with vertical strings of lights descending from the star on top.

12

Australian Christmas trees are the world’s largest parasites.

If you’ve heard the phrase “Australian Christmas tree,” you might imagine a fir tree on the beach, or possibly one in the ocean Down Under. However, the plant that Australians call a “Christmas tree” is actually an aggressive, hemiparasitic type of mistletoe. This parasite is believed to be the largest in the world, with its roots stabbing victims up to 360 feet away! It looks nothing like a conifer, but its yellow-orange flowers bloom around the holidays, hence the name.

13

The first artificial Christmas trees were made of dyed goose feathers and wire.

If you prefer an artificial tree, you’re not alone. It’s a cheaper and lower maintenance option, giving parents and pet owners one less thing to worry about during the holidays. Artificial trees date back to the 1880s, when Germans looking to offset deforestation made the first ones from dyed goose feathers held together with wire. Since then, people around the world have made fake trees out of aluminum, cardboard, and glass, although most artificial Christmas trees sold today are made out of PVC plastic.

14

The largest artificial Christmas tree cost $80,000 to construct.

In Colombo, Sri Lanka, a 236-foot tall tree made of scrap metal and wood broke the Guinness World Record in 2016 for the world’s tallest artificial Christmas tree. The tree was surrounded by some controversy during construction—the local Catholic archbishop thought it was a waste of money (about $80,000) that should have gone to charity—and it ultimately didn’t stay up for long. It was dismantled in 2017 when folks realized it looked more like a rocket than a fir tree.

15

New England Puritans banned Christmas trees in the late 17th century.

In 1659, the court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony formally banned any Christmas celebrations aside from a church service, which included the “heathen tradition” of hanging decorations. Christmas trees drew looks of scorn in America for nearly two more centuries, before German and Irish immigrants finally normalized decking the halls.

16

Queen Victoria popularized the Christmas tree.

Though strict religious attitudes about Christmas trees had finally begun to soften by the early 1800s, it wasn’t until Queen Victoria and the royal family were sketched next to the household fir tree in 1848 that they truly became popular in the English-speaking world. Having grown up with a German mother, Victoria associated Christmas with evergreens decorated with oranges, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. The former colonies admired British royalty so much that Christmas trees finally became fashionable in America.

17

Germans believe it’s bad luck to put up your tree before Christmas Eve.

In order to avoid bad luck at Christmas, some Germans believe you should erect your Christmas tree no sooner than Christmas Eve (or sometimes the 23rd) and take it down no later than Twelfth Night (Jan. 5). In some predominately Catholic countries—Ireland, Italy, Argentina, etc.—the tree goes up on Immaculate Conception Day (Dec. 8) and comes down on Epiphany (Jan. 6), though some Catholics extend that to Candlemas (Feb. 2), according to Italy Magazine. However, everyone can agree that you should definitely not put your tree up before Halloween (or in America, before Thanksgiving).

18

The Vatican didn’t get a Christmas tree until 1982.

The Christmas tree was one tradition that the Catholic church snubbed for hundreds of years. It wasn’t until 1982 that Pope John Paul II, already known as a bit of a reformer, brought a Christmas tree into the Vatican to sit beside the traditional Italian Nativity crib. Today, Catholic liturgy includes a prayer for officially blessing your tree.

19

The White House evergreen goes in the Blue Room.

The official White House Christmas tree sits in the circular Blue Room, and every year since 1961, the first lady has been in charge of selecting the theme and decorations for the tree. But this custom hasn’t always been without controversy—in 1899, many people urged President William McKinley to forgo the “un-American” display because of its German roots, according to The Washington Post. It’s even said that President Teddy Roosevelt banned Christmas trees for environmental reasons, but in fact, he displayed a tree for three of his eight Christmases in the White House.

20

The National Christmas Tree stayed dark in 1979.

It was a surprise to onlookers when, during the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington D.C. in 1979, only the star at the top lit up after President Jimmy Carter‘s daughter Amy threw the switch. The president then announced that the normally resplendent evergreen would stay otherwise dark throughout the season in honor of the Americans being held captive during the Iran hostage crisis. “We will turn on the rest of the lights when the hostages come home,” President Carter said, as reported by The Washington Post. (The hostages weren’t freed until January of 1981.)

21

One Florida city makes an annual Christmas tree out of 700 tons of sand.

Every year West Palm Beach, Florida, boasts that it has the world’s largest Christmas tree made entirely of sand: 700 tons of the stuff go into making “Sandi,” a 35-foot peak strung with lights and topped with a star. During the month-long Holiday in Paradise celebration, kids are invited to explore Sandi-Land, a free attraction that includes musical shows, miniature golf, and more family-friendly events.

22

Americans make Christmas trees out everything from lobster traps to hubcaps.

Some towns across the United States make Christmas trees out of materials even more unique than sand. For example, Baltimore, Maryland, is home to a tree made out of hubcaps, according to Travel + Leisure. And exactly 154 lobster traps comprise the 40-foot-tall Lobster Trap Tree in Rockland, Maine (pictured here). Meanwhile, Junction, Texas, displays a tree made of deer antlers; Chandler, Arizona, turns tumbleweed into a glittery Christmas tree each year; and fittingly, Lynchburg, Tennessee, makes a tree out of Jack Daniels’ whiskey barrels.

23

There are 500 chapters of the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club.

In 1973, Hallmark launched its Keepsake Ornament tradition. Each year, the company releases a new collection of Keepsakes—some with traditional holiday imagery, some pop-culture themed—and collectors clamber for them. (8,500 designs and counting!) According to Hallmark’s website, there are 500 local chapters of the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club, which theoretically involves a lot of scouring Ebay and arranging trades.

24

Christmas trees cause 160 fires every year.

Between 2013 and 2017, Christmas trees caused an average of 160 household fires each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Collectively, those four years of Christmas tree fires resulted in $10 million in property damage and three deaths. To avoid becoming a statistic, firefighters recommend watering your tree daily, and—whether your tree is real or artificial—you should keep any heat sources at least three feet away, throw away any damaged lights or frayed wires, and unplug the lights when you go to bed at night or leave the house.

25

Tinsel used to contain lead when actual silver proved too pricey.

People have used metallic tinsel to decorate their Christmas trees since at least the 1800s. The shiny strips of metal reflect light, allowing for a sparkling tree even in candlelight. Originally, only the rich could afford tinsel, since it was made out of actual silver. Copper and aluminum became substitutes, but neither was ideal. According to The Atlantic, after World War I, tinsel makers settled on lead as the metal of choice, even though there were already inklings that it could be poisonous. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the Food and Drug Administration banned household products made of lead.

26

Christmas wreaths were first used to celebrate Advent.

Plant-based wreaths go back to ancient times, where they were usually worn as crowns. But we have 16th-century Germans to thank for applying the wreath to Christmas traditions. They used Advent wreaths—set flat on a table—with four candles around the edge to count down the Sundays until Christmas.

27

Catalonian children have a “Christmas log.”

There’s more than one way to celebrate Christmas with a tree. In the Catalan region of Spain, many celebrate with a Tió de Nadal, or “Christmas log,” which is also sometimes called Caga Tió, or “poop log.” Starting on Dec. 8, the family puts out a hollow log (usually with a funny face and a red hat), and each day, the children take turns “feeding” it with dried fruit and nuts. Finally, on Christmas Eve, the children whack the log with sticks until it “poops” the treats back out. Guess that’s one way to keep kids entertained?

28

Popcorn garland is a truly American tradition.

All it takes is some popcorn, cranberries, a needle, and dental floss to make your very own homemade Christmas tree garland. Though Germans traditionally decorated their trees with cookies, nuts, and fruit, Americans in the 1800s adapted that custom to long strings of popcorn and cranberries. While it’s unknown exactly why popcorn was chosen—likely because it was inexpensive—cranberries are perfect, since their waxy coating keeps them from spoiling quickly. If you want to try it yourself, just make sure you use day-old popcorn, which breaks apart less easily than fresh kernels.

29

Christmas trees take nearly a decade to grow.

Your average six- to seven-foot Christmas tree takes between eight and ten years to grow, according to CNN. Along the way, it will be sheared to keep its conical shape for easier decorating. For every tree that’s cut down, farmers usually plant up to three seedlings. Of the approximately 2,000 seedlings planted per acre, about one-half to three-quarters will make it to maturity.

30

Christmas trees are recyclable.

When the holiday season comes to an end, be sure to recycle your Christmas tree. Obviously, recycled trees can be turned into mulch or compost, but that’s not the only option. Old Christmas trees can be buried to prevent soil erosion, sunk in a body of water to create a refuge for fish, or shredded and placed on hiking paths to keep the trail marked and the ground stable. They can also be donated to elephants for food at a sanctuary in Tennessee! But if you’re elsewhere in the country, check out this link to find a tree recycling center near you.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit trade deal is unique in that it will leave businesses facing more barriers to trade than they did while Britain was a member of the European Union.

But that’s the price of reclaiming sovereignty. While he can claim to have taken back control of Britain’s domestic fishing waters and ended the role of the European Court of Justice, businesses and consumers will face a slew of additional barriers to trade after Dec. 31.

The following encapsulates the main points of the deal, based on a copy of the deal obtained by Bloomberg, as well as summaries provided by the two sides.

Trade in Goods

Summary: The agreement ensures that most goods traded between the EU and U.K. won’t face new tariffs or quotas. However, British exporters will face an array of new regulatory hurdles that will make it more costly and burdensome to do business in Europe.

Market access: U.K. and EU goods will continue to receive tariff-free and quota-free treatment.

Rules of origin: New rules require the U.K. to self-certify the origin of its exports to the EU. Certain products that contain a high threshold of inputs from outside the EU and U.K. may face new tariffs.

Health and safety: The EU will require U.K. agri-food exporters to provide health certificates and undergo sanitary and phyto-sanitary controls at border inspection posts.

Testing and certification: The absence of a mutual recognition agreement means U.K. regulatory bodies won’t be able to certify products for sale in the EU, a potentially big barrier to trade.

Trade remedies: The EU and U.K. may pursue tariffs and other sanctions according to rules established at the World Trade Organization.

Financial Services

Summary: The deal offers little clarity for financial firms. There is no decision on so-called equivalence, which would allow firms to sell their services into the single market from the City of London. The agreement only features standard provisions on financial services, meaning it doesn’t include commitments on market access.

The U.K. and EU will discuss how to move forward on specific equivalence decisions. The European Commission, which is in charge of allowing access to the EU’s market, said it needs more information from the U.K. and it doesn’t plan to adopt any more equivalence decisions at this point.

Regulatory cooperation: The two sides made a joint declaration to support enhanced cooperation on financial oversight. They aim to agree on a Memorandum of Understanding by March.

Level Playing Field

Summary: Both sides committed to upholding their environmental, social, labor and tax transparency standards to make sure they don’t undercut each other.

The deal doesn’t include a ratchet mechanism that would force the U.K. to stiffen its rule in lockstep with the EU.

Instead, it has a re-balancing mechanism: Either side will be able to impose with tariffs if they diverge too much. “Such measures shall be restricted with respect to their scope and duration to what is strictly necessary and proportionate in order to remedy the situation,” according to the agreement. They will also be subject to arbitration by an independent panel — not the European Court of Justice.

Both sides will be prevented from giving an unlimited state guarantee to cover a company’s debts or liabilities. In line with EU law, the U.K. won’t be able to rescue a failing firm without a restructuring plan, and any aid to failing banks will have to be the minimum necessary to help it wind down.

The U.K. and the EU will have to disclose the subsidies they award.

Dispute Resolution

Summary: One of the biggest stumbling blocks in the negotiations was the question of how to settle disputes over trade in future. If the two sides can’t resolve a dispute, or want to change the terms of the agreement, the trade deal could be reopened, according to people familiar with the matter. The mechanism is likely to work like this:

Either side can hit the other with tariffs in particular areas if they think they are justified under the terms of the agreement.

If one side thinks the other is being unfair on such tariffs, they can take the issue to an independent arbitration panel.

Individual chapters of the trade agreement can be reopened to renegotiate particular areas where there are disputes.

A nuclear option will be available to terminate the whole trade deal if it’s not working out, but the security agreement would stay in place.

Fishing Rules

Summary: This was one of the most contentious areas after disputes over the control of British fishing grounds came to symbolize the country’s desire to leave the EU.

U.K. fleets will take 25% of the current EU catch in British waters, worth 146 million pounds ($198 million), phased in over five years. Britain’s opening negotiating position called for an 80% increase, so this represents a significant compromise.

There is a transition period of five-and-a-half years during which reciprocal access rights to each other’s waters remain unchanged.

Customs

Summary: Both sides pledge to limit customs red tape, including through programs for trusted traders known as authorized economic operators (AEOs have benefits including fewer controls).

“Bespoke” measures including cooperation at “roll-on roll-off” ports such as Dover and Holyhead in Britain are also foreseen, according to the U.K., while the EU refers to specific “facilitation arrangements” for wine, organics, automotive, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

The U.K. exit from the European single market on Jan. 1 was going to lead to more customs bureaucracy for both sides regardless of whether they reached a free-trade deal or not. The accord largely commits the EU and Britain to follow international practices aimed at minimizing customs costs for businesses.

Aviation and Trucking

Summary: The EU has stopped short of granting automatic recognition to British aerospace designs and products, according to a synopsis published by the U.K. government.

Such recognition will be confined to minor changes until the EU “gains confidence in the U.K.’s capability for overseeing design certification,” the document says.

On trucking: Both sides commit to “good and efficient management of visa and border arrangements for road hauliers, in particular across the U.K.-Union border” and to “appropriately facilitate the entry and stay of” truckers.

Data Flows

Summary: The deal includes a temporary solution to keep data flowing between the EU and U.K. until the bloc has adopted a data adequacy decision.

This bridge period starts on the date the new deal takes effect and will last a maximum six months, or end as soon as the EU’s data adequacy decision has been finalized, which is expected to happen in early 2021.

Personal data shipped to the U.K. during this interim period “shall not be considered as transfer to a third country” under EU law, the document says, adding that the U.K. has to suspend its own transfer mechanism.

If the U.K. applies a new transfer tool to ship data to a third country during the interim period, it should “as far as is reasonably possible” inform the EU.

Both sides committed to upholding high levels of data protection standards and to ensure “cross-border data flows to facilitate trade in the digital economy” without imposing limits on where data can be stored or processed.

Energy

Summary: The U.K. won’t have access to the EU’s internal energy market. This was expected but there will be new arrangements in place by April 2022 to make sure that trading is smooth and efficient on interconnectors — huge power cables that run between the U.K. and Europe.

The U.K. is a net importer of electricity and gets 8% of its power from the continent. As an island nation, making sure trading across these interconnectors is efficient is important to Britain.

Making trading smooth will “benefit U.K. consumers and help integrate renewables and other clean technologies onto the grid in line with our domestic commitment to net zero emissions” the U.K. document says.

The deal includes guarantees on security of energy supply.

The U.K. is no longer part of the EU’s emissions trading system but both sides agreed to cooperate on carbon pricing in future and “consider linking their respective systems.”

The U.K.-EU agreement would be suspended if either side breaches their commitments to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate, according to the summaries.

Professional Services

Summary: The deal means that there will no longer be automatic mutual recognition of professional qualifications, according to the EU’s reading of the treaty.

“Doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, vets, engineers or architects must have their qualifications recognized in each member state they wish to practice in,” the EU said.

This is a loss for the U.K., which had wanted “comprehensive coverage” to ensure there were no “unnecessary” barriers to regulated services. However, the deal does still provide a “framework” for the recognition of qualifications, according to the U.K.’s summary of the agreement.

Business Travel

Summary: There are provisions so U.K. companies and individuals have “legal certainty and administrative clarity they need to continue engaging in business activity and delivering services in the EU when the transition period ends.”

They agreed on length of stays “that broadly reflect the outcome reached in the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. This includes the ability for U.K. short-term business visitors to travel to the EU for 90 days in any 180-day period.”

“The parties have also agreed not to impose work permits on business visitors for establishment purposes.”

Taxation

Summary: “There are no provisions constraining our domestic tax regime or tax rates,” according to the U.K.

Both sides pledge to “uphold global standards on tax transparency and fighting tax avoidance.”

Agriculture

Summary: Trade of farm goods will benefit from the zero-tariff, zero-quota terms between the two sides. However, there will be new requirements at the border, adding costs and hurdles for shippers.

No tariffs: The lack of levies is “especially important” for the agriculture and fishing sector, as some meat and dairy products would have faced taxes topping 40% under WTO terms, the EU’s summary said.

Extra checks: “U.K. agri-food consignments will have to have health certificates and undergo sanitary and phyto-sanitary controls at Member States’ border inspection posts,” the EU says. The U.K. summary notes that both sides will be able to maintain their own sanitary standards going forward.

Organic products: There will be an equivalence agreement allowing for foods certified organic in one market to be recognized in the other, the U.K. said.

Dispute Settlement

Summary: Disputes on the deal must be negotiated between the EU and the U.K. with no role for the EU courts, according to a U.K. reading of the agreement.

An arbitration panel may rule on some areas and can order one side to resolve the problem or offer compensation.

Failure to do so allows the other side to “suspend obligations” which could mean blocking some access or cooperation.

If there’s a “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulty,” either side can react with time-limited measures.

Law Enforcement

Summary: The deal will allow cooperation between the U.K. and EU, particularly as part of investigations into terrorism and serious crime, including with the exchange of DNA, fingerprint and airline passenger information.

There will be cooperation between U.K. and EU law-enforcement agencies, but the U.K. loses membership in Europol and Eurojust.

Extradition: The U.K. said there will similar cooperation on extraditions to that between the EU and Norway and Iceland, “but with appropriate further safeguards for individuals beyond those in the European Arrest Warrant.”

An arrest warrant “may not be refused on the grounds that the offense may be regarded by the executing State as a political offense, as an offense connected with a political offense or as an offense inspired by political motives.”

Where extradition isn’t possible, there will still be “a path to justice in every case” such as requiring EU countries to refer cases to prosecution.